1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to dental flossing devices and more specifically it relates to a dental flossing system for allowing an individual to floss their teeth with only one hand and without positioning their fingers within their mouth during flossing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of dental floss is considered to be of great importance in the exercise of healthy dental hygiene. Dentists recommend at least daily use of dental floss in conjunction with brushing to promote health, teeth and gums. Because of the difficulty and discomfort of flossing the teeth, many flossing devices have been developed in the prior art.
A first class of such prior art devices includes non-motorized flossing stationary flossing devices. For example, the dental cleansing device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,256 to Barth (xe2x80x9cBarthxe2x80x9d) includes a fork-shaped device having two arms extending from the distal end of a shaft. One end of a length of dental floss is fastened to the shaft. From the shaft, the floss is strung through an aperture in one arm, through an aperture in a second art, and strung down to and fastened to the shaft at the other end. The floss is strung tightly between the two fastening points to provide a tight length of floss between the arms of the device. The user then holds the operative end of the shaft and positions tight length of shaft between abutting teeth. The user causes cleansing action to take place by moving the shaft in a reciprocating manner, which movement is directly translated to the floss.
The drawback of this and similar devices are that only the small length of floss between the arms is available for cleansing at any one time, and gets dirty and worn quickly, requiring constant restringing. Further more, the reciprocating motion of the arms within the mouth can cause the arms to hit and irritate the gums and cheeks.
Another group of fork-shaped devices include a motorized mechanism for causing movement of the dental floss relative to the shaft and thus the teeth. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,632 to Gross et al. (xe2x80x9cGross et al.xe2x80x9d), a length of floss is secured such that it extends tautly between two arms of the device. A motor causes circular motion of the floss to effectuate cleaning action. Another device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,500 to Stella (xe2x80x9cStellaxe2x80x9d) shows a motor and cam mechanism that causes a length of floss to reciprocate between two arms. The reciprocating floss movement effectuates cleaning when the floss is inserted around or between abutting teeth.
Motorized flossing devices such as the Stella device provide floss movement without requiring the movement of the shaft or arms of the structure. As a result, they provide an advantage over devices such as that described in Barth in that floss motion is achieved without having to effectuate motion of the arms within the mouth. A drawback of the motorized flossing devices is that they are mechanically complex, presenting manufacturing difficulty and reliability questions. A further drawback of such devices is that they require a source of power, such as batteries. Finally, such devices involve the placement of an electrical appliance into the mouth, thereby requiring extra safety mechanisms to be employed.
Another problem inherent with flossing devices is the requirement of steady arm control during use. In the use of flossing devices, only small controlled movements, or in some cases no movement at all, is required. Such control over the flossing device can cause the user to experience hand and arm fatigue. Consequently, a need exists for a flossing device that when used, requires less control and thereby reduces hand and arm fatigue.
Another patent related to the present invention is U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,674 to Ali et al. entitled xe2x80x9cDental Flossing Device.xe2x80x9d Ali et al. overcomes many of the problems with conventional dental floss devices. However, Ali et al. does not provide a convenient mechanism for dispensing, locking and removing the dental floss during usage. The present invention provides a structure that overcomes the limitations of Ali et al.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for allowing an individual to floss their teeth with only one hand and without positioning their fingers within their mouth during flossing. Conventional dental floss devices are difficult to utilize and require both hands to properly operate.
In these respects, the dental flossing system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing an individual to floss their teeth with only one hand and without positioning their fingers within their mouth during flossing.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of dental flossing devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new dental flossing system construction wherein the same can be utilized for allowing an individual to floss their teeth with only one hand and without positioning their fingers within their mouth during flossing.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new dental flossing system that has many of the advantages of the dental flossing devices mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new dental flossing system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art dental flossing devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a body having a pair of arms and a rear portion containing a spool rotatably positioned within, a wheel is rotatably attached within a central portion of the body, a shaft concentrically attached to the wheel and extending from a side of the body for receiving a length of dental floss, and a locking arm that is pivotally attached to the body for locking the dental floss in a desired position within a locking groove.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a dental flossing system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide a dental flossing system for allowing an individual to floss their teeth with only one hand and without positioning their fingers within their mouth during flossing.
Another object is to provide a dental flossing system that allows for a continuous and clean length of dental floss to be utilized without requiring cutting or reloading each time an individual flosses their teeth.
An additional object is to provide a dental flossing system that is convenient to utilize.
A further object is to provide a dental flossing system that is comprised of a simple construction.
Another object is to provide a dental flossing system that may be utilized by users of all ages and abilities.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.